


How To Train Your Poodle

by TheMockingJ3



Series: Two Divas and a Dog [3]
Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Dogs, Eternal Diva, Eternal Diva spoilers maybe, F/F, Fluff, Humour, Misbehaving dogs, that’s all this is, ”Melina you bimbo!”
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26771575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMockingJ3/pseuds/TheMockingJ3
Summary: Melina can’t keep up with her pet poodle, Schubert. Luckily, she and Janice meet a fellow dog-lover who offers them advice.
Relationships: Alphonse Dalston & his dog, Janice Quatlane & Alphonse Dalston, Janice Quatlane/Melina Whistler, Melina Whistler & Alphonse Dalston, Two divas and a dog
Series: Two Divas and a Dog [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952089
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	How To Train Your Poodle

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: Maybe for Eternal Diva and Miracle Mask.  
> Set: A few years before ED and MM, but after my previous fics with both Schubert the poodle and Prince Azure Dalston. Some fans make OCs to ship with their favourite characters. I make dog OCs.  
> Warnings: Dogs??? And slight references to Melina’s illness, whatever that may be.

_ “Schu! Come back!” _

Park visitors turned their heads as a white poodle tore across the grass. Janice and Melina were hot on his tail.

_“Schubert Whistler!”_ Melina shouted, as if using his full name would make a difference. All that gained them was some laughs from the onlookers. 

Janice, already red in the face from running, said, “Try using another treat?”

Melina puffed, “I’m all out!” 

“ _Schu _ doesn’t know that!” 

“Right...” Melina yanked the treat packet out of her bag. She lifted the packet up as if it was the cure for eternal life and rustled it loudly. “Look...  Look, Schu!  I’ve got  _ treats!”  _

Schu pranced to a stop by the duck pond and looked back at Melina. His fluffy ears perked up. 

“ _Goood, boy! _ _”_ Melina crooned. “Do you want a trea—“ A strong breeze blew the packet out of Melina’s hand. It fluttered to the ground, obviously empty. 

Schu snorted. 

Janice face-palmed. “How intelligent is he again...?” 

“ _Extremely _ intelligent,” Melina said proudly, picking up the packet. 

“If only intelligence amounted to  _obedience_...” 

“He’s still in  _training_!” 

“You’ve been training him for  _three_ _years_ ,” Janice pointed out. 

Melina could easily afford to pay for dog training classes or even a private trainer, but she feared they would be too strict with Schu. 

Melina pouted. “He’s just a  puppy.” 

“You think  _ all _ dogs are puppies!” 

“So  _what_?”  Melina smiled in Schu’s direction. “As long as Schu loves me, that’s all that matters—“ 

Schubert leapt into the pond. 

“SCHU— _FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE_!” Melina raced to the edge of the pond. She kicked off her shoes and clutched the hem of her long yellow skirt. 

“ _Oh no, you don’t_!”  Janice grabbed Melina’s wrist (so pale and slender compared to Janice’s own). “You can’t afford to catch  _pneumonia_.” 

Janice scowled at the pond. That water looked cold and dirty; it was crawling with feathers, algae and who-knew what else. Schu didn’t seem to be concerned at all. He just kept splashing around after the ducks. 

Melina sighed, “Schu, please...” 

Janice suggested, “We can call your father—“

”He’ll never let me walk Schu again!” 

He would never let  _ Janice _ be alone with Melina again. 

Barely stifling a groan, Janice removed her shoes. The grass at the water’s edge was brown and squishy under her feet. 

“You don’t need to—“ Melina gasped, “ _ Look out!”  _

Something— Another dog?— bounded past Janice. Janice lost her balance. She would have fallen into the pond if Melina hadn’t pulled her away. 

The two of them were chest to chest, shaking. 

“Are you... okay?” Melina breathed. 

Janice nodded, slightly dazed. She shifted her head towards the pond when she heard more splashing and barking. 

Schu was being chased by the other dog— a Great Dane, possibly? It had a steel blue coat, pointy ears and a stubby tail. 

“ _Schu!”_ Melina cried out with terror when the Great Dane started growling and baring its teeth. Schu whined. 

“ _Oi...!”_ a man’s voice called behind Janice and Melina. “Prince! Get back ‘ere, right now!” 

The Great Dane stopped growling and turned its head towards the voice. 

Schu, finally, bolted back to Melina. He shivered and shook out his coat. He looked (and smelled) like a dirty grey mop now. 

Melina hugged him anyway. Janice wrinkled her nose and put her shoes back on. 

Melina tightened her grip on Schu when the Great Dane jumped out of the pond and trotted past them. It halted at the side of a hulking man with a moustache. 

The man, evidently its owner, patted the dog’s head. “Good boy.  _ Sit.”  _

The dog obeyed without hesitation. 

Janice shot Schu a sideways glare.  _ Why can’t  _ you _be that obedient?_

“Sorry about Prince,” the man hollered. “Can’t ‘elp ‘imself when ‘e’s around water.”

“That’s... that’s okay,” Melina replied, putting Schu safely back on his purple leash. 

“ _Schu _ isn’t much better,” Janice scoffed. If it weren’t for Prince, she would have dragged Schu out of the pond herself. 

“ _Shoe...?”_ the man chortled. 

“ _Schubert_ ,”  Melina huffed. 

The man raised his hands. “I’m not judging...” He gestured to the Great Dane. “This ‘ere’s  Prince Azure Dalston .” Prince sat up a bit straighter. 

“That’s a very... regal name,” Janice said. 

“Thanks— it’s my family’s name.”

Melina was still watching Prince with some suspicion. She asked, “What type of dog is he?”

“Something crossed with a Great Dane... I think.” Dalston (assuming that was his name) shrugged. “I caught ‘im scrounging through my bins a couple of years back.” Prince made a grumbling noise. 

“He was a  _stray_?”  Melina gasped. 

Dalston nodded. “What about yours?” 

“He’s a poodle,” Melina said, stroking Schu’s head. 

“ _Standard, purebred_ ,” Janice added. 

Melina nudged her with her elbow.

“Thought so,” Dalston said. “Poodles love to swim.”

“I wouldn’t call  _ that _ swimming...” Janice muttered. Schu sneezed. 

Melina rubbed Schu’s nose. “Schu... does whatever he wants,” Melina admitted. 

Dalston hummed. “You need to be firm with ‘im...” He shook his head as Schu sniffed at the wet grass and rolled onto his back.

“ _Stop that!_ ” Dalston barked. Schu immediately sat to attention. “See?” Dalston laughed. “‘E’ll listen if you tell ‘im.”

“ _Thank you_ ,”  Janice said pointedly, glancing at Melina. 

“Yes, thank you,” Melina repeated, tugging Schu to his feet. 

“Well, we should be off,” Dalston grunted. He tucked his hands into his trouser pockets and trudged away from the pond. “Let’s go, Prince!” Prince followed Dalston, wagging his short tail. 

Schu whimpered and tried to chase after Prince. 

“ _No_ ,” Melina said firmly, pulling him back with the leash. “We’re going  _home_ and you’re going to have a _bath_.” 

“That’s more like it,” Janice said, smiling. 

“But I feel so  _mean_ ,”  Melina moaned. “Sorry, Schu...” 

“Why don’t we get an  ice cream on the way home?” Janice suggested. “Would that make Schu feel better?  _ Do you want an ice cream,  Schu—?” _

Schu jumped up at Janice, getting his muddy paws on her dress. Janice groaned. 

“I think that’s a  yes ,” Melina giggled. 

**Author's Note:**

> ...How do you write a Yorkshire accent?


End file.
